Lightning arrester, arc intercepting type



Nov. 23, 1943.

G. B. RoLosoN y LIGHTNING ARRESTERS, ARC INTERCEPTING TYPE Filed July 25, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

(fu/VME. En OSO/V.

ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 23, 1943. G. B. RoLosoN LIGHTNING ARRESTERS, ARC INTERCEPTING TYPE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 25, 1941 diate electrode ciV Vure9;

Figure 15, a perspective view of the lower end` Figure 11, a sectionalized view in 'elevation illustrative of a modified embodiment of my inven-V tion wherein a porcelain insulator body is eml ployed as distinguished Vfrom one of fibrous rna- Y terial; p Y

Figure'lZ, arperspective view of an intermediate eelctrode'of thecharacter'shown in Figure S;

Figure 13, a'view in perspective of'a section of an inner tube of gas evolving material, illustrating the formation by which an intermediate elec-L trode of the character shownin FigureQ Ipliybev 'fr mounted within the arrester;

out as at 29 to receive the projection 28 and permit the remaining end Aportions of the liner to rest onthe rim` of the electrode. The projection 28 is beveled incliningly inward and somewhat jacentlthe inner surface of ,the liner 24. The sidewalls ofthe notch 29 in theV liner rnayv also Y be sloped or beveled to snugly tV about the edges Figure 14, a perspective view of an interme- I.

the character shown in-Figf *i portion of a tube Vof gas evolving material il1us.

` trating the formation bywhich the lowermost in'- termediate electrode of the Figure 1.1 embodiment or the ground terminal electrode ofthe Figure 1 embodiment maybe mounted within the arrester; Figure 16, a perspective of an intermediate electrode l'comparable withpthat ofthe Figure lll Vembodiment fexcept for its baseformation; Figure. 17, -arcross sectionalvie'w taken ,at line utl-fl'lofthe Figure 11 assembly; and r I. -jgFigureV 18, schematic` View illustratingthe `staggered relationship of Y the electrodes when lmounted in .the arrester. and` also illustratingvex-- emplary arc pathsangularly disposed withrespect to :the axis of the arrester passageway.

' By referencev` to the drawingsg-shown for the of the projection 28 and to hold the liner in position.

In the Figure 11 embodiment the walls or the npassageway 23 of the insulator body 22 are provided with a ledge 3| above which the cross sectional area of the passageway 23 exceeds that of the cross sectional area of the passageway 23' below the ledge sufficiently to accommodate Vthe liner 24 and provide a liner passageway 25 of f cross .sectional area in uniformity with the unlined portion 'of'the body passageway 23. lAs distinguished from .theFigure 1 :embodiment wherein jthe V'liner contacts hor rests vupon kthe ground electrode; theV ledge 3l .ofthe Figure 11 Y embodiment serves as a support for the liner .24

purpose otillustrating applications ofthe invene tion and by whichvthe same may be practiced; the

' embodimentsrwill be'seen as includingaline terp minal. electrode 20; and a-vented groundterminal electrode 2| suitably maintained, in such .man-r -ners as shownin'Figures '1 and 11,inY xedvspaced relation bya:l suitable insulator'body .22,v offiber,

glass, porcelain, Vor'otherA compound, having; a passagewayfZS of'considerable cross-sectional area Yand withiwhich .at least theinner extremities :of Y"the'terminalelectrodesgZ and 2l communicate g vand by which arrangement anrarcv chamberV is .providedzbetween theterminal electrodes. Alaywithin thev passageway. 2,3 and in contiguous re- 'lationshipwiththe wall thereof `to,providegagliner for the wall ofthe passagewayZS and to provide within the linedarea an unrestricted. passageway Y f l25 of considerable andisubstantially uniform cross sectional arearfor thefree flow4 of a column of ac:

1erA of suitable gas evolving materiald is mounted Y passageway '25.Y Whilean arc flowing a'path imv and as means'for maintaining a. Vspace'between the terminal electrodes unabridged by a continuity of elements of less'currentconductivity'than glass or porcelain. In this arrangement the Vgas evolving liner 24 cannot serve asa conductor between the terminal electrodes 20and 2l either by itself or in combination with other current conductive elements, ,a feature of novelty claimed .in my copending application Y Serial No.Y 295,778. Also'in. the Figure 11 embodiment', the wall of the reducedportion of. the 'bodypassageway 23 v.is recessedras at 29' to receive the projection y23V of the ground electrodeV in a manner to Aposition the inner surface'vof the projectionio'n aplane with thewall ofthe body passageway 23 comparable with the arrangement of 'the Figure 1y embodiment wherein the liner'is notched, 29; to receive the projectionV 28. Y i if if ByV the arrangements described arcpa-thsl between the terminal electrodes 20 and 2| will be from a point on the rim 21 on the line electrode immediately adjacent theinner'surface .of the l liner to the tip 3i) of kthe'fgrund electrode 2l which `is in oron Vthe'plane of the-liner. The y shortestv arcvpathbetween thefaforesaid points on the terminalelectrodeslwould'normally befromV the ground electrode and anarcpath between these points would be'immediat'ely Vac'ljac'erit 'the inner surfa'eefof theelinerlthroughout the Vlength of fthe 'path rather than diagonally; acrossthe mediately adjacent thelinermayjhave greater the endrportion oftheelectrode 2B and-imm'edii atelyiiadjacent .the inner surfaceV of .the' liner 24. y K

the groundeelctrode the-@loweriendV ofthe liner 2,4, in the Figures 1-10 embodiment, isf-'notched E @fregi-,jupon theliner to causethe same to evolve lgreater volufJnes.Vof'gasL the'arc would notbe sub jected to i the de ecting 'Y effect i of j the column of gases moving. down through the passagewayVV 2,5,

.eiricethev arc as welll as the column of gases would Ytravel substantially. parallelfwith eaclfiother.V y

Such an arrangement ismore or less theA convene tional practicein theeonstruction of arresters mostfciirrlnoillxfused.A .v-'I'herefore to subiet an arc flowing between the'rterminal electrodes to the deflectingreifect of the; moving column'of aocumulated gases, as well'- as to 'cause.the arc path v to .bemorepositivelyrionfionizedzf provide one 1 or .more auxiliary electrodes32,";32, fand:32f in;

termediately ofethe Aiteryi'ninal electrodes and :in spacedV relation Y with :respect 'theretojas well "as assays? thereof and fromwhich point the 4resumed :are must `triali/'erse`the passageway 25, -asvwellfas the ing 3a; see Figure 13; into which the electrode maybefseated. `To secure the intermediate electrodes `32 andSZ." within the opening Stand notch 29,1'respectively, 'theV edges of those electrodes'maylbebeveled, see Fig. l5, to provide lesser inner exposed surncial dimensions than .that of the-backs thereof and the walls ofthe openings andV notch beveled to correspond therewith; By thel beveling arrangement and the support o'f Vhew'alls of the body passageway 23 to thebacks of Ythe electrodes `they may be iheld-'inziixed position; yet readily removable by the removal `of the .liner Vfrom theLbody passageway. Y 1

columnof gases therein, inlordeftoA Contact the uppermost point of the' next auxiliary electrode, and th'us'on downward tothe ground electrode'. f

The initial arc between the lingelectrode-and the next ,adjacent auxiliary electrode, by being permitted to 'flowl immediately adjacent the liner, willy haveth'e eiectsought'by the ariarigementof other types' of lightning arresters tooausethe evolution of amaximum quantity `of `gases lfrom the liner. This principle of operationis there-- fore not sacrificed :in the present Vfariangeinent but the arrester improved by positively fixing the successive arcV paths,y li.`e., `after 'those between the Sline terminal Tand the-intermediate electrode nearest thereto, traversingly dfl-theriowing leol umn of gases. By this arrangement, the columnY of gas will 'non'-idnize"v the ionized diagonal are paths and -by its `directional lforce will attenuate the arcs `loe'tv'feen the intermediate felectro-desand also between 'theilowrmostintermediate eiectrede 'and the ground'electro'de #to points where the arcs cahnotmaintain themselves. YWith particularireference te Figure ita-small elongated plate-like metallicmember mayV com# prise a suitable auxiliary or intermediate elece trode 32". For mounting-puiposesand advantages lof -operationfthe interrnediate )electrode 32'; as shown in Figure 14, may beef a thickness comparable with 'thatof lthe liner A2li 'andfslig'htly concave on -its inner "tacet'o A conform With-the liner lwalls 'fo'f the' p'assageWaylZ "to which pas- Thev Aintermediate electrode 3.2,V shown :in iperspective in Figure 112 andin .mounted position in the-assemblies of `Figures v1 and 11fahd their associated Views, is provided .with a .rin'gflike head Aportion 35, from which the electrode portion 32 depends, Vand whose opening andvthickness is vcomparable with thatolfthe liner 24. lit the point Y of mounting the latter intermediate electrode within .the insulator passageway, the liner is in.-

terrupted and the lower .portion 'notched out to receivafsupport and retain the @portion and its depending electrode portionfas shown particularlyiin Figures 1l, B andvll. The dependingpo1'tion32 corresponds substantiallywith that of the projection 28 o'f the :ground electrode 7.2i A

and is adapted to `iit .into anotch vin the `liner 24 corresponding 'to the re'c'ess .'29in :the insulator portion 35 of the intermediate-'electrode may :be beveled from its outer surface incliningly inward Y and terminating at the Yinner surface 'to rprot/tide a rim 2l', as its greatestextremitn :on av plane sagewaythe face `ofthe electrode 'is'eiiposed one.

plane withV the inner surface ofthe liner.-` Liliewise, the -baclrv 33' of the lectrode`32`may slightly convento-conform Awith thecurvature of the wall of the 'insulator lbod-y passageway 23 againstwhich the eleetrodeis positioned.v `V`-It is also believed that 'advantages Ymay be obtained by 'slightly apexing the-*exposed Asurface of 'the eleetrodeat Tits' top -to provide fan @are tip to for more-or less Vfixing the terminus of f-the4 path *of an are to the electrode and. apeiiingtheiexposed surface" of the vbottom of `the lectrodeto provide rigid supportuponthe'le'dge 3| in the body pas sageway 23.' The lower end of the liner 2l! of the Figure 11 embodiment is Anotched out at 29, as shown in .Figure 15, 4to receive the intermediate electrode 32 similar to the 'manner in which the Vlower end of the liner of the Figure 1 embodiment is notched at 29 toreceive theprojection 28 of the ground electrode 2 l Likewise, for the mounting of the intermediate electrode 32 as shown in Figure 9 the liner is provided with an openwith the walls of its opening which coincides with the plane of the inner walls-'ofthe liner passageway 25 in order that .the termininf arc paths,

leading from the rim -21 ofthe electrodez, will be on or in a Vplane with lthe iliner surface in a similar manner as originating points :of arc paths iiowing from the rim v21er' .the line fele'ctrode 2t.

VThe .lowermost intermediate -electrode 32 in the ofthe ground electrode .2l and each succeeding ntermediateelectrodeis similarly positioned with 1 respect to the one therebeneath, the arrangement terminating by theppositioning of the intermediate electrode depending portion 32 upwardlyand diagonally across thepassageway from the `interf `mediate electrode nextbelowl 1 InV the alternate arid staggered arrangement-oi the electrodes, .the spacing andieng'th ofthe Eintermediate lectrodesras well'ras thetprojection 2.8

` of the ground electrode,.must-be' such `that 'the distance between ithefnearest-end-sor itips of eidjacent electrodes -on Vthe saine side fofflthe passageway be appreciably Vgreaterthan Ithefsum ,of the shortest distances fromthose :ends or tipsito Y the nearest electrode Aon `theoppositeIside of the passageway, forfthe intended fun'otionyil re`.,'=for definitely fixing the shortest are pathsbetween succeeding intermediate electro des-across; the pas# sageWay and for preventing arcs from iiowing t between electrodes on the same side of the passageway. By way of example reference is had to Figure 11, wherein it will be seen that theV distance between the lower tip 30 ofthe depending portion 320i the first intermediate electrode and from :those tips, respectively, tothe upper and lower tips 3and .345' of intermediate electrode 32' on theopposite side'.othepassageway; Likewise, with Ireference to the sameiigure, the distance between the'lowertipI-f,ofjelectrode 32 to theupper tip 3d ofthe' ,ground electrodev pro.

l jection 23;on`rthe same side of the passagewayfis a'ppreciably'greater thanthe sum of the shortest 'distancesfrom' those tips, respectively, to the upperand lcwertipsil and 30 of intermediate elecvtrode 32"" on 'the oppositeside of-theV passageway. v Thesame principle is adhered to in the showing fof Figure land in the eventjthat thevshortest distancesfrom vthe tips of adjacent electrodes on the same side-0f the passageway. totips of the nearestel'ectrodes on the opposite-side of the passageway arefzall V.e qual,1Y thenthev distances t be.- Y VVtweenitips of .electrodes on 'the same side of thev passageway must .be appreciably greater than.'V

twice the shortest distance from one of .these tips,k tothe nearest electrode Von the-opposite side Oi the passageway.. A

The spaceV between the line electrode and v the ring portion 35 of' intermediateV electrode 32V is surrounded'by fiber or gas evolving material Eiland that portion of the linerpassageway forms a chamberl Slfor the production of ,gas whenY an electric discharge occurs through the Varrester.`Y By; the arrangementland construction-of ,thegas chamber members a plurality yof advantages and functions will beraccompli'shediin that byV the'inclusionvof theringfporticn 3E cf'the 2l,Y the shortest arc paths throughl the Ygas cham f ber 36, regardless of-.along which side Yof the chamber they may be established, will be imme- .Arstfintermediate electrode and the positioning i of the extremities of-that electrode the lineV terminalelectrode, thefrfcrmV of rims 2liv and diatelyadjacent'the liner'for product-ion ofgases; l

Since the arc paths are not limited to a positionv between twol -denite pointsin the circumferences of the ,rims 121 Yand 2l', but may bebetween any of `the-many circumferentialpoints, Vthe arrester is not limited to a single performV ance even if the heatof an arc may destroy the lineriimmediately 'adj acentthe' rpath along which a' previous arc had, been established. TheiheatV of the arcs, between` the pointsof nearest interandthe succeeding `arcs between the'intermedi- -ate electrodes and the ground terminal electrode and the ground electrode distortsvand attenuatesY the arcs ilowing traversingly of the; passageway to a point whereV they `cannot maintain them- 'selves and simultaneously therewith the gases non-ionize the Vare paths, destroying the ionized Y paths created by theiarcs, -thus breaking the arc and interrupting the electric discharge. Y

In my improved arrester the entireV gas passageway is smooth and of substantially-uniform cross sectional areaand there are no obstruc- Y tions to the passageof the blast of gasesin the ,"form ofa column 3'!v to the outside air, nor isY Y the columnof gases hindered by a deflection in the flow thereofr n l Having described my invention and illustrated embodiments by which the same may be practiced,` what I claim is: 4 i. f

1. In an electric discharge device lof the eX-f pulsion tube type, ythe combination with a.tubular insulator', oi'aterminal electrode, ofv a vented tubular,` electrode,a tubular lining adapted to evolve gas when heatedl by an electric arc, one

yor more 'interlfnediatey electrodes having end portions in diametrically opposite sides `of` said lining wherebyarcs between adjacent electrodes are zigzag course. ,f

'72.' Inanelectric discharge device, the combination with a tubular 'electrode having la tubular y end portion which is beveled to an edge farthest mediate electrodeszis not apt to .destroy or'seri- Y Y v ously deteriorate the-'liner since the shortest paths ,.,f therebetween and alongwhich the arcsiwill normally ow doinotzparallel the liner.`. Deterioration :of the. liner 'in the immediatewicinity lof intermediate electrode tips SE1 Aand, Sil? ibyfthe .i

heat effect otheends of the 'arcs therebetween will detract little, if'ianyg frcmthe eiectof the arrester -upon repeated. operations since the-"ef- I. feet of repeated arcs through ther'g'as chamber l will remainsubstantially uniiorrn. i

l In the operation; cf the improved' arrester,Y when Y Van electric ,discharge occurs through the ar.- rester, arcs are'formedfrbetween each rsuccessiveV twoof all'iof the VVarious electrodes.: f TheY arc between therimsfof thelineelectrode' and the rrim nofjthexirst intermediate ,electrode willY be '6 j in contact .with orirhmediatelyadjacent theliner Y advanced from the body or". the electrode at theY Y f inner surface of said tube, of aY companion vented tubular electrode provided with a projecting `terminal, of a tubular lining adapted to evolve gas when heated by an electric arc, and one'v or morel intermediate electrodes arranged on diametrically opposite slides of said lining, whereby an electrical discharge passing from' a power linevvtofa ground forms a plurality A,of arcs crossing the passageway of said device'diagonally. Y 3; In an electric discharge device of the expulsion tube type, the combination .witha inibu-v lar insulator,Y aV tubular fgas evolving lining, a

' terminal electrode, a" vented Ytubular electrode providedv with a terminal portion less than semi' Y circular in cross-section extending in the directioniof said iirst electrode and one or more intermediate electrodes less than semi-circularin' Ycross-section mounted within the tubular lining at increasingV distances from said-vented elece trode with adjacent intermediate electrodev terminals locatedy in opposite sides of saidlining.

Y lGLENN B.RoLosoN.

Vcausedtocross evolved-gases/ in'saidfdevice,ina Y 

